This work is a collection of essays that describe and analyze
religion and regime relations in various nations in the
contemporary world. The contributors examine patterns of
interaction between religious actors and national governments that
include separation, support, and opposition. In general, the
contributors find that most countries have a majority or plurality
religious tradition, which will seek a privileged position in
public life. The nature of the relationship between such traditions
and national policy is largely determined by the nature of
opposition. A pattern of quasi-establishment is most common in
settings in which opposition to a dominant religious tradition is
explicitly religious. However, in some instances, the dominant
tradition is associated with a discredited prior regime, in which a
pattern of legal separation is most common. Conversely, in some
nations, a dominant religion is, for historical reasons, strong
associated with national identity. Such regimes are often
characterized by a "lazy monopoly," in which the public influence
of religion is reduced.